Pedal-operated drum-beater and cymbal-sounder



R. C. SCHEURER AND H. A. LATHROP.

PEDAL OPERATED DRUM BEATER AND-CYMBAL SOUNDER.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 17, l9l9.

v ATTORNEYS UNITED STATESWTPATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. SCHEURER, OF WEST HOBOKEN, AND HAROLD A. LATI-IROP, OF I INION HILL, NEW JERSEY.

PEDAL-OPERATED DBUM-BEATER AND CYMBAL-S OUNDER.

Application filed October 17, 1919.

ToaZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, Ronnn'r and HAROLD A. LATHROP, citizens, respectively, of Vest Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, and Union Hill, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Pedal-Operated-Drum-Beater and Cymbal-Soundenof which the following is a description.

Our invention relates to pedal-operated devices for beating a bass drum and sounding cymbals in an orchestra, said devices being pedal-operated leaving the hands of the player free to beat the small drum and play other instruments.

In practice, the base of the device of the indicated character is clamped to the usual support on which the bass drum is held and the cymbals are supported on the drumto be positioned off the center, the drumstick being swingably mounted and carrying a cymbal striker, the latter being arranged to be swung to or from a position to strike the cymbals simultaneously with the beating of the drum.

The general object of our invention is to provide ,a device for the indicated purpose improved in various particulars, whereby to possess distinctive characteristics and advantages, among which are the following: The drumstick is so mounted and the pedal so arranged. that no part at any time will afford obstruction to the foot of the operator; the support to which the pedal is connected is secured to the base of the structure that it may be readily attached, and detached for disassembling the device, and when in place, the connection between the pedal support and base will hold the former firmly; the standard supporting the swingable drumstick has a form at its upper end and has such a relation to the link connecting the pedal with the element carrying the drumstick that a compact arrangement resuits and a positive movement of the drumstick insured; provision is made for mount-- ing the drumstick to swing in a vertical plane at a side of the standard and outside the plane of operation of the pedal and its appurtenances; the drumstick may readily be adjusted longitudinally and laterally relatively to its supporting and swinging C. SCHEURER Specification of Letters Patent. Pafgnted N0", 23, 1920,

Serial No. 331,306.

element to properly position the drumstick; the clamp devices for securing the base of the device to the relatively fixed support are arranged to promote convenience for clamping and unclamping; and novel means is provided to secure the cymbal striker to the drumstick in a manner not only to permit the bodily adjustment of the cymbal striker longitudinally of the drumstick and secure it in adjusted position but also the cymbal striker is so arranged to positively hold in either its operative or its inoperative position.

The above and other objects are attained by the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter particularly described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understoodthat the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of-the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drum beater and cymbal sounder embodying our invention with portions broken away and in section to illustrate a detail construction, a portion of the bass drum and its support being shown;

Fig. 2 is a rear view or view'looking to ward the drum;

,Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. at is a detail in cross section on the line 4- 4, Fig. 1.

In the illustration the letter A indicates a support for a bass drum, B, a portion of said drum, and C (Fig. 2) indicates in dotted lines a fragment of a cymbal indicating its approximate position relatively to the drum head.

I In carrying out our invention in practice, in accordance with the illustrated example, the base 10 is provided adapted to rest on the floor of an orchestra or like supporting surface adjacent to the support A and it is provided at the sides with clamp plates 11 which may as shown he roughened or toothed at the under side to effectively grip the upper surface of the support A. Clamp screws 12 are swiveled to the base 10 and are disposed at an angle to the vertical plane for convenience in operation, said screws having wing nuts 13. or the like to effect a clamping action.

Rising from the base is a standard 1 1 on which is supported the swingable drumstick which is secured to a holder 16 forked to present depending arms 17 through which a pivot pin or bolt 18 passes, securing the said holder pivotally to the upper end of the standard 14;. The means for securing the drumstick 15 to the holder 16 is as follows: Said drumstick is longitudinally adjustable in a sleeve 19 having a set screw 20 adapted to bind on the stick and a lateral arm 21 rigid with said sleeve extends transversely through the holder 16 and is adjustable longitudinally therein, a clamp screw 21 being provided to bind on the holder and adapted to bind against the arm 21 to hold the same in given adjustment. The arrangement positions the drumstick to swing in a plane at a side of the standard 14 to be clear of the foot operating the pedal.

The pedal 22 is pivotally-secured as at 23 to a support 2% adapted to rest on the floor rearward of the base 10 and a rigid arm or rod extends forwardly from said support 21 to the base 10 which base has a longitudinal groove 26 at its under side accommodating said. rod fi'ush with the under side of the base 10. The rod terminates at its front end in an upstanding member 28 which is adapted to be projected upwardly into a socket 27 formed in said base at the front end of the groove 26, the socket being continued in practice into a flange or web 10 formed integral with the base 10 and the standard 14. The connection between the pedal 22 at the front end and the holder 26 for swinging the latter and the drumstick forwardly is effected in the preferred form of my invention as follows: Any suitable clamp device 22 on the pedal detachably secures the adjacent end of a link or connecting rod 29 which rises obliquely and extends forwardly from the pedal through a slot 30 in standard 1% to the front side of the latter, the upper end of said link being laterally extended as at 31 and pivotally received in a forwardly extending arm 32 on the holder 16 at the front. The standard 11 at'its upper portion is rearwardly offset as at 14-, the por tion with the slot or opening 30 being obliquely disposed so that the pivotal center 18 of the holder 16 will be in the general plane of the standard, the arrangement making for compactness and for the securing of the device at the proper distance from the drum. By the described arrangement it will be seen that a depression of the pedal 22 will act through the link 29 to rock the holder 16 and swing the drumstick through I an arc to heat the drum. The holder 16 and the drumstick are restored after a beating movement by retractile springs 33 disposed advantageously at each side of the standard 14, the upper ends of said springs being secured to arms 17 presented by the fork arms 1'? below the pivotal center 18, the lower ends of said springs being secured to screws 3% passing through lugs 35 or equivalent fixed members 011 the standard It, said screws being provided with adjusting nuts 36 whereby the tension of the springs may be varied.

The cymbal striker 37 consists of an arm having a head 37 to strike the cymbal (J said arm being carried by a holder 38 adjustable longitudinally of the drumstick 15. Said holder is slotted at the front as at 39 dividing the same into a pair of jaws to receive a clamp screw 40 for clampingthe holder in adjusted position on the drum stick. The arm 37 is pivoted at its inner end to the holder 38 by a transverse pin 41 or the like, said holder presenting slots 38, 38* adjacent to and at right angles to each other to accommodate the arm 37 in its movement so that it may be swung through approximately from a position transverse to the drumstick for striking the cymbail to an inoperative position parallel or approximately so with the drumstick. The arm 37 adjacent to its pivot presents flat surfaces 37, 37 at right angles toeach other, either of which according to the position of the arms 37 is adapted to bear against a friction plate 42 pressed by one end of a coil spring 43 disposed in the holder 38, suitable means being provided to permit insertion or removal of the spring and to adjust the tension thereof, there being shown for the purpose a screw plug bearing against the spring 43 at the opposite end from the friction plate 12, said screw plug presenting a de )ression -16 to seat the adjacent end of said spring. By the described arrangement, it will be obvious that the pressure of the spring 43 will hold the cymbal striker 37 in either of its positions.

Reverting to the relative form and arrangement of the standard 14, pedal 22, and the connection between the pedal and the drumstick, it will be observed that the standard is disposed in front of the pedal and that the pedal terminates short of the back of the standard, there being ample clearance space between. the front end of the pedal and the standard, and that the connection of the link 29 with the pedal is rearward of the standard. By the described arrangement, the pedal avoids the defect incident to the usual drum heaters in that the foot of the musician being placed on the pedal is not impeded in its movements by accidental contact with the standard.

The provision of separate springs 33 for restoring the drumstick holder marks an advance over present devices in that should a spring break the device is not thrown out of operative condition because the remainare enabled to terminate the slot thereof remote from the upper end of the standard because the link 29 at that point moves through a less are than at a point in the link in line with the lower portion of thestandard. The standard is thus not weakened as it would be by a slot extending to near the upper end thereof. At the sametime we are enabled to obtain the advantages of connecting the link with the pedal at'a point at the back of the standard. The extension of the link through the standard to the back thereof requires the front end of the pedal to move through a less are than if the pedal were extended to the front of the standard with a given size pedal and of ample size for practical purposes. The arrangement makes also for compactness in the general assemblage at the top of the standard and prevents lost motion and side play or side thrust, the important result being obtained that an increased rapidity of movement of the pedal may be given in ac-. cordance with the requirements of fast music, it being a well-known fact that with mechanically operated drumsticks great difficulty is experienced by the player in playing fast music.

We would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly thesame can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thusdescribed our invention, we claim: e

1. A drum beater of the class described in- I eluding a support, means to secure the same in fixed position adjacent to a drum, a holder swingably mounted on said support, and means on said holder and adapted to receive a drnmstick, said means being laterally adjustable on said holder to vary the plane of movement of the drumstick.

2. A drum beater of the class described injzluding a support, means to secure the same in fixed position adjacent to a drum, ,a holder swingably mounted on said support, a sleeve adapted to receive a drumstick, means on said sleeve to permit longitudinal adjustment of the drumstiek, and means to secure said sleeve to said holder to be adjustable laterally relatively to said holder.

3. A drum beater of the class described including a support, means to secure the same in fixed position adjacent to a drum, a holder swingably mounted on said support, a sleeve adapted to receive a drumstick,

means on said sleeve to permit longitudinal 'nljustment of the drumstick, a lateral arm rigid with said sleeve'and adjustable lengthwise thereof on said holder, and a set screw to hold said arm in adjusted position.

A. drum beater of the class described including a standard, means to secure the standard in fixed position adjacent to a drum, said standard presenting an opening extending therethrough from front to rear, a pedal, a link connected with said pedal and extending forwardly through said open- -i11g in. the standard to the front of the latter, a drumstick holder pivotallymounted on said standard and connected with the forward end of said link to be swung by the latter in the forward direction, and means on said holder at a side thereof and at a side of the standard and adapted to receive a drumstic-k so that the latter will be swung in a planelaterally of the standard.

5. A drumbeater of the class described including-a standard, a base thereon, said base having alongitudinal groove at the underside extending forwardly from the rear end of the base and presenting a socket intersecting said groove, a drumstick holder pivotally mounted on the standard, a pedal operatively connected at its forward end with said holder, a support to which the rear end of the pedal. is pivoted, and a rod extending forwardly from said support and adapted adjacent to its front end to be accommodated in the groove of the base, the front end of said rod terminating in an upstanding member adapted to be received in said socket.

6. A device of the class described including a pivotally mounted holder, a drumstick carried by said, holder, means to actuate said holder, a cymbal striking arm, a holder to which said arm is pivoted, said last-mentioned holder being longitudinally adjustable on the drumstick and said arm being swingable on the latter holder from a position transverse to the drumstick to an inoperative position approximately parallel of the drumstick, said arm adjacent to its presenting flat surfaces at approximately right angles to each other, a friction plate bearing against said arm and adapted to engage either of said surfaces according to the position of the arm, a spring bearing. against said friction plate, and means to adjust the tension of said spring.

7. A drum beater of the class described including a standard, a drumstick holder pivoted on the standard at the top and presenting a depending fork, the arms of which are disposed at opposite sides of the standard, a pedal in the rear of the standard and operatively connected with said drumstick holder, for operating said holder in a forward direction, and separate retractile springs disposed at the sides of the standard, said springs being connected respectively with the standard and with the fork arms of the drumstick holder.

8. A drum beater of the class described including a support, means on said support to swingably mount and to actuate a drumstick, a base on said support, and clamp means to secure said base to a fixed support, said "clamp means including clamp plates at opposite sides of the standard, and clamp screws passing through said plates and disposed at an angle to vertical planes so that the axes of the screws are in flaring relation to the standard to afford convenience in the manipulation of the clamp.

S). A drum beater of the class described including a standard, a drum stick holder rockably mounted on said standard at the top, means on said holder at a side of the standard adapted to receive a drum stick, a link connected with said holder in front of the standard and extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom to the back of the standard and in the plane of the latter, and a pedal terminal in the rear of the standard and connected at its forward end with the rear end of said link.

10. A drum beater of the class described including a standard having its upper end ofi'set rearwardly, a drum stick holder pivotally mounted on said standard at said offset upper end, a link connected with the holder in front of the standard and extending rearwardly to the back of the standard, and a pedal disposed at the back of the standard and terminating behind the standard, the forward end of said pedal lying in the rear of the standard and being secured to the rear end of said link.

11. In a drum beater of the class described, a standard having the upper portion thereof offset reau'wardly, the standard being vertically slotted at said offset portion, a drum stick holder rockably mounted on the upper end of said offset portion, a link connected with said holder in front of the standard and extending rearwardly through the slot thereof to the back of the standard, and a pedal disposed at the back of the standard, the front end of the pedal being connected with the rear end of said link.

ROBERT C. SCHEURER. HAROLD A. LATHROP. 

